Method and Apparatus for Determining Modulation Levels That Are Supported on a Channel

1. An apparatus for monitoring a network comprising: a microprocessor configured to: configure a logical channel connectable to a test network element with a modulation profile that matches that of an active channel connected to the network, the logical channel separate from the active channel for coupling the test network element to a primary receiver, reconfigure the logical channel with a non-matching modulation profile, wherein the non-matching modulation profile varies from the modulation profile used on the active channel connected to the network, send a test signal to the test network element coupled to the logical channel configured with the non-matching modulation profile, and determine whether the non-matching modulation profile is acceptable for communicating with the test network element using one or more characteristics of a response from the test signal; and a receiver configured to receive the response to the test signal from the test network element via the logical channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the acceptable modulation profiles are determined based on one or more of: signal to noise ratio, modulation error ratio, packet error rate, burst error rate, forward error correction error rates, network element transmit level, or signal distortion ratio.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receiver is an undedicated receiver in a network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the determination of acceptable modulation profiles does not impact existing network communications.

5. A method of for testing a network, the method comprising: configuring a logical channel connectable to a test network element with a modulation profile that matches that of an active channel connected to the network for a selected network element, the active channel separate from the logical channel for coupling the selected network element to a primary receiver; assigning the selected network element to the logical communication channel; reconfiguring the logical channel with a non-matching modulation profile, wherein the non-matching modulation profile varies from the modulation profile used on the active channel connected to the network, sending a communication to the selected network element via the logical communication channel configured with the non-matching modulation profile; measuring one or more characteristics of a response received from the selected network element, the one or more characteristics describing transmission using the configured modulation profile; and determining acceptable modulation profiles for communicating with the selected network element based on the one or more characteristics of the response.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one or more characteristics include one or more of: signal to noise ratio, modulation error ratio, packet error rate, burst error rate, forward error correction error rates, network element transmit level, or signal distortion ratio.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein determining acceptable modulation profiles for communicating with the network element based on the one or more characteristics of the response comprises: increasing the modulation profile of the logical communication channel to an increased modulation profile until determining the increased modulation profile is unacceptable.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the modulation profile of the logical communication channel includes at least one of QPSK, 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM, 64QAM, 128QAM, or 256QAM.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining the increased modulation profile is unacceptable comprises: detecting an impairment in the response received from the network element in one or more of the characteristics when the logical connection is configured to the increased modulation profile.

10. The method of claim 5 , wherein the logical communication channel couples the selected network element to a spare receiver, the spare receiver separate from the primary receiver.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying instructions for a computer to perform a method of testing a network comprising: configuring a logical channel connectable to a test network element with a modulation profile that matches that of an active channel connected to the network for a selected network element, the active channel separate from the logical channel for coupling the selected network element to a primary receiver; assigning the selected network element to the logical communication channel; reconfiguring the logical channel with a non-matching modulation profile, wherein the non-matching modulation profile varies from the modulation profile used on the active channel connected to the network, sending a communication to the selected network element via the logical communication channel configured with the non-matching modulation profile; measuring one or more characteristics of a response received from the selected network element, the one or more characteristics describing transmission using the configured modulation profile; and determining acceptable modulation profiles for communicating with the selected network element based on the one or more characteristics of the response.

12. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the one or more characteristics include one or more of: signal to noise ratio, modulation error ratio, packet error rate, burst error rate, forward error correction error rates, network element transmit level, or signal distortion ratio.

13. The computer readable medium of claim 11 , wherein determining acceptable modulation profiles for communicating with the network element based on the one or more characteristics of the response comprises: increasing the modulation profile of the logical communication channel to an increased modulation profile until determining the increased modulation profile is unacceptable.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the modulation profile of the logical communication channel includes at least one of QPSK, 8QAM, 16QAM, 32QAM, 64QAM, 128QAM, or 256QAM.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 , wherein determining the increased modulation profile is unacceptable comprises: detecting an impairment in the response received from the network element in one or more of the characteristics when the logical connection is configured to the increased modulation profile.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 11 wherein the logical communication channel couples the selected network element to a spare receiver, the spare receiver separate from the primary receiver.